Andy Barr: “I first want to commend Chairman Goodlatte and Congressman King and others who worked on H.R. 1215, the Protecting…”

“I first want to commend Chairman Goodlatte and Congressman King and others who worked on H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act, which aims to address the real problem of junk lawsuits in the context of medical care. Seventy-five percent of the doctors will face a malpractice lawsuit over the course of their careers, and many of these claims are frivolous, which drives up the cost of healthcare, encourages defensive medicine, and contributes to the Nation's severe shortage of doctors and nurses, especially in high-risk areas such as obstetrics, neurosurgery, and emergency medicine. We need to enact sensible medical malpractice reform, and given the clear Federal interest in reducing taxpayer costs wherever Federal policy affects the distribution of healthcare, I support H.R. 1215. However, H.R. 1215 does not go far enough to discourage the practice of defensive medicine, the provision of health services, tests, and procedures designed to shield the provider from legal liability but which may not be medically necessary or in the best interests of the patient. Defensive medicine is a major driver of healthcare costs and also reduces the quality of patient care. {time} 1615 In that spirit, I offer this amendment, which would expand upon the reforms in H.R. 1215, to protect physicians from frivolous lawsuits, while promoting the practice of evidence-based medicine to lower costs and improve healthcare quality.…”